Airship construction



Nov. 24, 1925. 1,562,435

C. P. BURGESS AIRSHIP CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 28, 1925 Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES I. BURGESS, OF EETI-IESDA, MARYLAND.

AIRSI-IIP CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed January 28, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES P. BURGESS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bethesda, Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Airship Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in airship construction and more particularly to improvements in the longitudinals for supporting the outer cover of rigid airships.

In existing rigid airships difliculty is eX- perienced in maintaining the desired tension in the outer cover cloth and the difficulty is likely to become greater when the diameter of the hull and the spacing of the longitudinals are increased.

In the present invention it is proposed to obtain a nearly constant tension in the outer cover by means of special light and resilient secondary longitudinals intended solely to support the outer cover, and placed between the main longitudinals.

A further object is to provide improved construction of airship frames adapted to prevent distortion and maintain the fair lines of the hull.

A further object is to provide simple and practical construction of the longitudinals of airship frames of greater durability without material increase in weight.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out in connection with the accompanying sheet of draw ings illustrating one of the various possible embodiments of the present invention.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a semi-diagrammatic elevational view of a portion of one longitudinal of an airship frame.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2, Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing, each longitudinal preferably consists of a single tube or channel member 1 running longitudinally between the transverse frames 2 and braced inside towards the interior of the hull by short transverse struts 3 of general configuration as shown in Figure 2. The inner corners of these frames are provided with Serial No. 5,398.

stay wires 4; running approximately longitudinal in direction.

lhe resilient efiiect produced upon the channel member 1 by the brace wires 4. may

be carried across the transverse frames 2 by members 5. These auxiliary members 5 are preferably braced by struts 6 similar to the struts 3 and secured by brace wires 7.

Such a construction provides a resilient longitudinal girder which may be erected initially with a slight camber beyond the fair lines of the hull and subsequently drawn by the tension of the outer cover indicated at 8 into the fair lines. These resilient longitudinals 1 and 5 will then press against the outer cover 8, assisting to keep it tight, in spite of stretching which may occur after it is laced to the main or secondary longitudinals.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides a simple and practical construction for secondary longitudinals adapted to support the outer cover of rigid airships.

What I claim is 1. In an airship construction, transverse members, a longitudinal girder connecting said transverse girders, said longitudinal girder having a longitudinal member of structural cross-section braced by a series of struts normal thereto, and brace wires passing over the struts and connected substantially with the ends of said longitudinal member, whereby the longitudinal forces due to the bending of the girder are taken by the wires instead of by longitudinal members of structural section.

2. In an airship construction, transverse members, a longitudinal member connecting said transverse members having a slight camber and braced by a series of struts normal thereto, brace wires passing over said struts and connected with substantially the ends of said longitudinals, and auxiliary longitudinals secured to the said longitudinals and passing outside 7 the transverse frame.

3. In an airship construction, transverse members, a longitudinal member connecting said transverse members having a slight camber and braced by a series of struts normal thereto, brace Wires passing over said struts and connected with substantially the ends of said longitudinals, auxiliary longitudinals secured to the said longitudinals and passing outside .the transverse'frame,

said auxiliary longitudinals being braced near their central parts adjacent the main transverse frames. 10

Signed at \Vashington, District of Colum-i bia, this second day of December, 1924.

CHARLES -P. BURGESS. 

